Disclaimer: Don't own.

Warnings for the chapter: Fighting

The Mistakes We Make

Ch. 1 - The Beginning of a Trio

A rather large man looked through out the crowd that was surrounding some sort of battlefield which had a large neon sign above him reading out 'Fight Range' and in brackets: 'Tatter's Domain'.

"Ready?" he called out, though it wasn't really needed. Those people had been standing ready for about twenty minutes.

Huge applause collided with the two figures' ears standing in the clearing, but they stood still.

"Then, let's ... begin!"

A ding sounded, then there was silence.

"Are you going to come at me, or what, Tatter?" one of the men that were facing each other growled out, impatiently clenching and unclenching his fists in their bandaged bindings; he had long brown hair and two quite strange eyes because of their color, ivory. His name was Hyuuga Neji, though he was commonly referred to as Hyuuga.

Tatter, the other fighter, just stood there, arms folded over his chest and a contemplating expression on his barely visible face.

"I guess. Let's get this over then, alright? I have things to do and you're the one that came to me asking to fight. Nope, demanding."

The other scowled.

"So?" he spat out.

"So..." Tatter started, sighing in his obvious boredom. "You should be the one to start out, don't you think?"

"Is that a challenge?"

"What isn't nowadays...?" he muttered, finally falling into an unknown defensive stance. "Come on. I'm bored, Hyuuga. Don't keep me waiting."

"Fine..." With that, the man also fell into an unknown agressive posture with his hands almost flat and in front of his body about waist level. "You asked for it. Fate will let me win, though."

"We'll see about that." Tatter grinned, almost playfully.

"I SAID ... BEGIN!!" The referee called out.

A louder ding was heard, then; the two figures blurred into action.

With Kiba

"I can't believe it." the brown haired boy grumbled, then turned to his white a brown dog that trailing along happily beside him.

"Akamaru?"

He barked and Kiba took it as a 'yes'.

"Do you still remember everything I've taught you? You know... About training and..." Kiba glanced around warily, then finished, "Ninjas?"

Akamaru barked again and this time, Kiba knew it was definitely a 'yes'.

"Good. I hear there's a fighting area down a couple blocks to the south part of town. What do you say about getting ourselves some money?" he asked, but it really didn't need an answer. "Let's go!"

To the Fight Range

They had been exchanging kicks, punches, and jabs for about ten minutes. So far, only a few of them had actually landed. And most of them were on Neji. The rest were dodged or well-answered. In fact, most of the times when Neji got hurt, was when he blocked. It did nothing for him and Tatter hadn't received any really hard blows, only a few soft ones.

"Come on!" Some one in the crowd called out.

"Get serious, Tatter!" Another jeered, glaring hatefully at one of the two in the arena. No one could really tell who, nor did they care.

The Hyuuga paused, almost getting kicked in the stomach for it, though.

"You're not serious?!" he growled. "I asked you to fight - not to play around. GET SERIOUS!!"

Tatter just sighed. "If you wanted me to win immediately, why didn't you just say so?"

"Why- You little cocky bas-"

This time, the kick wasn't dodged.

"Oof!"

"I'm not cocky. Just right." Tatter answered, looking down at the Hyuuga.

"See?! That's cocky!" Neji replied, getting up.

Tatter sighed again. "Let's finish this..."

"Fine!"

In no more than five minutes, the Hyuuga was laying on the ground, groaning in pain as he nursed a black eye and particularly bloody nose.

"What the hell?! What was that?"

"Getting a little serious." Tatter stated. "Although, obviously, you weren't worth it. Challenge me again once you've improved, alright? I'm out of here."

Just as he was turning, however, a crowd of about fifteen females surrounded him.

"Great job, Tatter!"

"You won, again!"

"I knew you could do it."

"He was an idiot! Challenging the master... Pft!"

Tatter grumbled quietly, as he tried to push through the crowd in annoyance and slight disgust. 'This is sick...' he thought, looking around for an escape route. He spotted one, but it would take a heck of a lot of pushing, and girls, to get through.

"Excuse me." He muttered, but everyone quieted for him to speak. "I give my deepest apologies, but I have some where I need to be. Good night to everyone... And thanks."

He really didn't see the point of these 'victory speeches', so that was the most he ever gave. Of course, they had to let him through.

Just as Tatter had disappeared around the corner to the left, another person and a dog came running in through the right alley way, panting.

"Hey!" he yelled. "I heard there was a fight tonight!"

Some people ignored him, but a few went up to him, along with the beaten Hyuuga.

"Yeah." he growled at the newcomer. "But it's over, so take your stupid mutt and go home. Good boys aren't wanted here."

"The name's Kiba and this is Akamaru." Kiba said, motioning over to his dog beside him, trying desperately to ignore the 'mutt' comment. "I'm just looking for the winner. I want to challenge him."

That phrase, however, did get everyone's attention.

"You want to WHAT?!" a girl asked, incredulous.

"Tatter's amazing and even Neji got beat by him." Another said, pointing to the Hyuuga.

"Yeah, you do not want to fight him."

Neji grumbled in distaste. "Just go home, boy."

Kiba growled at him. "I just want to know where he is. Where did he go?"

"... That way. But if you get beaten up, it isn't our fault." A brown haired girl pointed over to the left alley way with a little pocket knife. She had hearts in her eyes, much to the displeasure of Neji.

"Thanks so much! See ya!" Kiba answered. And with that, he was off, dog in tow.

With Tatter

'Sheesh. What a phony fighter. He's all talk, but definitely a ninja. Interesting. I'd better keep an eye on him. What a pain...' Tatter groaned inwardly as he made his way to the alley where Hatake was waiting. 'He better not be reading Icha Icha again.'

"Kakashi."

The man in the alley stepped out. "Oh hey, Haru- Tatter."

Tatter sighed. "Seriously, stop calling me that. I know that you do it on purpose, Kakashi."

Kakashi just grinned. "Well, at least you stopped calling me 'Hatake'."

"Yes." Tatter grumbled. "And I was kind of hoping that you'd think to do the same."

"Would you rather me calling you Sa-"

"Kakashi..." He gave a warning glare.

The older man just laughed it off. "Calm down. There's no one... Never mind."

Just then, Kiba and Akamaru ran around the corner.

'Ninja ... and nin-dog. Interesting.' They exchanged glances, and readied themselves in case he wanted to fight.

"Hey! Are you Tatter? I want to challenge you to a fight!" the brown haired teen called out, as he arrived in front of them with his dog.

Tatter almost sweat dropped. 'Apparently he has fallen out of training. Sheesh. Another pathetic ninja. He should have just attacked.'

'Shannaro!'

'Oh, just shut up, Inner.' Tatter snapped. The voice had actually scared him, but he realized who it was in a second.

'So mean...' Inner pouted. 'Hey, I think that kid is talking to you again.'

'Eh? Oh, so he is. Great.'

The boy glared at the spaced out fighter in front of him. "I said, my name is Kiba. What's yours?"

Tatter stared at this self-proclaimed 'Kiba' for a moment before gesturing at the dog beside him. "And that?"

Kiba let a growl along with the dog. "Akamaru. Now-"

"I heard you."

Kiba frowned. "So...?"

"Tatter." He answered.

"I meant your real name."

Tatter let out a sneer. "And why would you care?"

"Tatter." Kakashi warned him.

Said fighter looked up at Kakashi. "Hm?"

"I think I trust this boy."

Tatter paused, sparing the taller and older man a glance.

"I trust your instincts, Kakashi." He then faced Kiba, who was still impatiently waiting, but getting more curious. "Haruno. You can call me that. No full names, though. Not even Kakashi knows my full first name."

Kakashi glanced down at her. "Actually, I figured it out a while ago."

Haruno glared up at him. "Shut up, alright?!"

"So?" Kiba asked. "When are you free for fighting?"

Haruno smirked, then disappeared. Kiba glanced around fearfully.

'Where did he go?'

Just then, Haruno reappeared right behind him.

"A ninja like you should know much better than to just initiate a fight through words - they'd take advantage of the situation, hmm? You should brush up on your training."

Kiba smirked as well. "I knew that you were a ninja."

But then Kakashi added something. "Hmm? Did you now, Kiba ... Inuzuka...?"

He whipped around so quickly, Haruno and Kakashi were half surprised that he didn't get whiplash.

"I'm not an Inuzuka. Not anymore..." he murmured.

"Oh?" They both asked.

"I've been banished."

Kakashi did this happy eye curl that Haruno and Kiba could only guess to be a smile underneath his dark half-mask.

"Then how about you join our duo? Trio, I guess."

"Join?!" Haruno and Kiba asked, incredulous for two completely different reasons.

"But, he can't!" Haruno exclaimed. "For many, many reasons!"

"Then name them." Kakashi stated, lazily turning his attention back to him.

"Well... For one; we don't even know if we can trust him. Two; ..." Haruno trailed off, desperately thinking of an excuse. "And finally, three; 'cause I said so!"

Kakashi smirked. "Nu-uh. I think that Kiba-kun should come with us."

"..." Haruno glared at the older man. "I hate it when you decide things. Stubborn."

"Look who's talking!" Kakashi answered.

Kiba looked back and forth between them, before interrupting their glaring contest (well, it was actually just Haruno glaring; Kakashi had his eye closed in a happy curve.)

"Uh, so? Now what?" he asked.

"You're a ninja." It was a statement, not a question.

He nodded, slightly confused as to why they were going over this when they had already established it.

"Yeah...?"

Haruno frowned.

"Fine, you can come. But if we ever catch him doing something against us; he's gone!" he exclaimed, sending a glare to Kakashi. "And we'll have to train you... Ugh. In Shika's words - 'How troublesome'..."

Kiba grinned. "Really?! That's awesome! But Akamaru is coming, too, right? ... Wait. Train me?"

The two stared at him a for a while, making the hyper Inuzuka suddenly insecure again. "Oh, yeah. He'll need some heavy training." Haruno muttered, shaking his head with a sigh. "I doubt that he could even make a replication... Tsk."

The boy glared at him. "Hey! We ninjas aren't supposed to train still."

"...Point?"

Kakashi sighed. "Yes, Kiba-kun - you can bring your nin-dog."

"You knew?!"

"Of course..." Haruno answered for his teammate, then added in a mutter, "Idiot."

"I'm not talking to you any more, Haruno!"

"Good. Shut up, then, will you?"

"Hey!"

"Now, now, Haruno-chan; Kiba-kun." Kakashi interrupted, patting both their heads.

"Pat my head again, Kakashi, and you'll die."

"Sure, Haruno-chan."

"Stop calling me that! ... Shut up, Inuzuka."

Kiba grinned, feigning innocence. "I didn't say anything..."

Kakashi sighed in faux annoyance, but the happy curve in his right eye was the only thing to prove that it wasn't real. But no one knew that it was in his other eye and his mouth, as well. 'Finally. Haruno-chan might actually open up to this one. Sure, hope so. He seems fun!' He chuckled as Haruno started clenching and unclenching his fists in hopes of containing his steadily growing fury.

"Cat got your tongue, Haruno-chan?"

"..."

'BONK'

Kakashi winced, but his smile grew. 'Yeah, I think that this one actually has a chance of staying longer than Uzumaki-kun - and that's hard to beat. Good luck, Kiba-kun. You'll need it.'

--

AN: Wow. This is a well liked (compared to some of my others, anyway...) story already! Who woulda thunk it...? Lol Anyways, I just wanted to put the next chapter up. Who knows when the next will be, but I'm pretty satisfied with this chapter, except for the ending. I couldn't get it quite right. -Sighs- Enjoy and review if you'd like. :)

Dedications: My reviewers, of course! :D They are:

a thousand cranes, nicaraquacubana, Lady V-chan, and PieciesHateScorpios

And one more. That person is my beta that just recently agreed to help me out with this story, even though she wasn't big on the pairing, or even Sakura:

Sakuramar

You rock, Mar, and thanks so much for getting it to me so quickly!

- Cady :D